■ Appearance: the cakes is well shaped, fragrant; ■ Tea Leaf: glossy and soft after brewed, remained in complete shape.■ Aroma: elegant and unique sweet fragrance.

Tea Liquid:bright yellow, clean with a shade of floating pekoes

Flavor: tastes strong yet soft at the same time, carries obvious sweet aftertaste.

Spent Tea Leaves: feels soft and thick, with glossy appearance.

Summary:

This is a unique raw pu-erh cake. The fresh leaves are from Fengqing large leaf species in Yunnan. Mengyou raw pu-erh has powerful flavor and soft aftertaste. When sipping it, the fragrance and taste linger on your tongue, bringing the sweetness to your throat.

The tea leaves of this Fengqing raw pu-erh is from 300 to 600 years old tea trees, grown on 2000 meters high tea gardens. The favorable weather condition and natural environment breeds such a good tea.

This cake is named as Fengqing Ancient Tree. The name is stamped on the packaging paper as the blue text “凤庆古树”. The ancient trees of making this tea have lived longer than 300 years.

The trees are Fengqing large leaf species. After rolling, the fresh tea leaves are compressed into this tidy cake shape. When unseal the tissue paper, you can see the dry leaves in the cake are large and strong, mixed with many thick tea buds.

Good tea is not only good looking, but also worth collecting. After breaking this pu-erh cake, you can find the leaves inside are the same quality as outside. This ensure this pu-erh tea’s high quality, brings the rich flavor and excellent taste to the tea.

This Fengqing Ancient Tree Raw Pu-erh has a very natural and nice aroma. The fragrance of fresh leaves can still strongly drag your mind to the tea gardens in Yunnan. The flavor you can taste from the tea is the beauty of nature.

For making raw pu-erh cake, the fresh tea leaves will be pan-fried, rolled, dried, and made into loose pu-erh teas (also called as Siaqing raw tea). After that, the leaves will be steamed and shaped with moulds, then dun-dried again. Finally, a piece of raw pu-erh cake tea is made.

Usually pu-erh cake’s weight is 100g, 357g, 400g, or 500g per piece. Comparing to ripened pu-erh tea, raw pu-erh is stronger, more astringent but with quick sweet aftertaste. Raw pu-erh tea smells strong as well. It contains high amount of tea polyphenol, is good at antioxidation.Normally, pu-erh tea drinkers start with mellow ripened pu-erh, and gradually learn to enjoy the strong raw pu-erh.

Tea Tree Specie: Fengqing large leaf specie

Fengqing large leaf specie is the variety of sexual propagation, arbor, super large leaf, origin in Fengqing, big plant which could reach the height over 6 meters, with the leaf at length of 12.6 – 20.5 centimeters and width of 5.2 – 8.1 centimeters. In 1984 the Chinese government certificated Fengqing large leaf species as national grade, and numbered it as “Huacha NO. 13 (GsCT13)”. Fengqing large leaf species contains a large amount of tea polyphenol and catechin. Usually in spring teas there are 2.9% of amino acid, 30.2% of tea polyphenol, 3.2% of caffeine and 13.4% of catechin.

Where is this Puerh Tea produced?

Fengqing is a place in Lingcang which is one of the four famous Pu-erh production areas (Xishuangbanna, Pu’er (Simao), Lincang and Baoshan). Fengqing located in the northwest of Lincang, east longitude 99°31′～100°13′, northern latitude 24°13′～25°03′. It has a distance of 580 kilometers from Yunnan province Kunming. Fengqing is also the original place of the world-wide famous Dian Hong Tea and also one of the original habitats of planting tea all over the world. Fengqing is also an important place of the north part of Ancient Tea Route. There’s a biggest old tea tree named “Jing Xiu Cha Wang” found in Xiang Zhuqing village in Fengqing. It is a representative tea tree cultivated in Fengqing which is more than 3200 years old with 1.84 meter in diameter.

The highest altitude is 3098 meters while the lowest is 919 meters. It is subtropical monsoon climate with average 13-15℃ temperature. The lowest temperature is -5℃. The annual precipitation is 1200mm. The relative humidity is 70%. The soil is red. The raining is synchronous with the high temperature. The temperature is warm and sunshine is sufficient. The rainfall is concentrated.

Alihou Village, Mengyou Town, Fengqing County

Alihou Village is located in the south of Mengyou, Fengqing in Yunnan Province. Alihou is about 20 kilometers to the government of Mengyou Town and about 60 kilometers to the downtown of Fengqing County. The surface of the road to the town is stone and soil, so the traffic of this area is not convenient. The whole village covers about 20.6 square kilometers.

This village belongs to Mengyou Town, Fengqing County, Lincang City, Yunnan Province. The altitude of this village is 1,870 meters. The average temperature here is about 16℃. The annual precipitation is about 1,300 millimeters. Thus this village is very suitable for the growth of rice, corn and other crops.

The most important things decide the Puerh quality:

1 Place: The high quality Puerh should use the Yunan Large-leaf variety. The main traditional Puerh production areas are Xishuangbanna, Pu’er (Simao), Lincang and Baoshan. The tea from different area has different characteristic. And each place also has their own representative places, for example, the representative places in Lingcang are: Fengqing and Mengku.

2 The quality of tea tress: Although all the Pu-erh tea trees are Yunnan Large-leaf tea trees variety, this variety also has many subcategories. There are many ways to distinguish the tea trees. In order to understand easily, we can judge the quality by the age of the trees. The older the tea tree is, the deeper the root is, so it can absorb more nutrient and mineral substance which can ensure the high quality of the tea. Generally speaking, the 60 years old tea tree (also called big tea tree 大树茶) is better than the 30 years old tea tree (also called arbor tea tree 乔木茶) which is better than 10 years old or less than 10 years old tea tree (also called tableland tea tree 台地茶). Of course, there are also some tea trees more than hundred years old which is quite rare.

3 Picking time: For big tea tree, the Spring tea and Autumn tea both have their own characteristic which are better than Summer tea. For tableland tea tree, the Spring tea is the best, then Autumn tea, Summer tea is the worst

4 The grade of tea leaves: The thick branches and big leaves don’t mean it is bad quality. Usually the grade only means the tenderness of the maocha. It can be divided into ten grades by the tenderness. The super grade is the most tender which contains tiny buds with golden tips. The worst is the tenth grade which contains big leaves with stalk. The appearance of higher grade maocha is elegant and the also contains more inclusions. But the higher grade also has bitter taste. The lower grade taste roughly and clearly, and also contains much fragrant which make the tea rich taste. So it is better to choose puerh by the taste you like but not only focus on the grade.

5 Storage time: Under the condition of dry storage, the taste changes with the length of time it stored; the longer it stored, the better it tastes. With fine Pu-erh tea, the longer it is stored and aged, as long as it is stored properly, the more complex the flavor and the more valuable the tea gets. But it need to note that it is under the condition of good place, tea tree and proper picking time, it can’t be only emphasis the storage time but ignore the tea inner quality.

Besides the above factors, there are also some other aspects which can affect the puerh quality like the tea process.

You can get more useful Puerh information from the following articles:

A delicate sheng that’s reminiscent of a good green tea. Somewhat vegetal/umami with notes of green wood, honey, and fresh tobacco. Very infusable, very attractive whole leaves. Later steeps have a mango fruityness alongside sugarcane and vegetal notes. Lacking in the punch that I expect from young sheng. Almost definitely a “drink now” puerh.

Overall a very friendly sheng that would serve as a good introduction for someone looking for low bitterness or coming from green teas.

By Johnon 8/17/15

Rating :

As I await the arrival of this year's anniversary sampler, I realized that I never got around to posting reviews of the Pu'er I received from last year's sampler. In my gaiwan the color of the first infusion's liquor is a very pale yellow. It tastes mildly herby with a sweetness about it and some lingering water chestnut notes, which transitions into a lingering cherry instead as it cools. The mouthfeel is soup-like. I decided to up the steep time to 20s from 10s. (5g of tea) It was a little stronger, but not much. The herbal qualities became more aromatic. I upped the time again, doing a 40s third steep, which was brothy, herbal again, yet with rolled off bitterness. The aftertaste is sweet with none of the notes I picked up from the first steeping. For the fourth steeping I went to a minute. It pretty much tasted the same. This tea actually grew on me in these later steepings. I did a fifth steeping at 1 minute 20 seconds. The tea took on a silky unsweet aftertaste with some body. It was a little dry though. For the second brew session of the remaining 5 grams I had, I noticed there were western steeping instructions on the packet suggesting a range of 4 to 10 minutes, and considering how mild this tea was, I decided to try 4 minutes. The tea is good. It is considerably more astringent, but not as much as say, a first flush Darjeeling. There is a slight mustiness. The mouthfeel is paradoxically thinner than the later gongfu steepings last time were, so I would recommend trying a gaiwan first.

By Annaon 5/24/15

Rating :

The dry leaves smell light and fresh, and slightly sweet and minty. There are definite tobacco notes in the tea. The first steeping was sweet and mellow, almost fruity which is unusual for such a young puerh. It was also slightly astringent, a bit drying in the mouth.

Further infusions were initially smokier, but quickly became sweeter, with fruity and floral notes.

Overall, a good, mellow sheng puerh.

By Oliveron 5/20/15

Rating :

From what I heard, raw pu-erh is supposed to be too wild to drink during its first year. That doesn't hold true in this case though. It was rather mild, actually. Definitely drinkable.

By Con 4/13/15

Rating :

Thank you for the samples a while back, Teavivre! First I will say that I'm really not the person who should be writing reviews for raw pu-erh, as I'm realizing they are really not for my tastes. I've tried a few of them now and most of them seem very similar to my palate. All of the raw pu-erh offerings I've tried from Teavivre have been very good though, but I just shouldn't be the one judging them! Only one raw pu-erh remains to be tried and I think I won't be focusing on them for a while, until maybe my palate changes at some point.

The flavor here is very light, almost citrusy and creamy. But to me, raw pu-erh is always better with the first steep. I really need to learn how to steep them better. I certainly don't want to follow the 4-10 minute suggestion on the pouch, as that would surely be a bitter mess. I see the "ancient tree" description and I would think the leaves would have a much tougher flavor. Not so! Light and tasty, but as usual I'd rather be drinking a dark and rustic ripened pu-erh. The second and third steeps seem to have a similar flavor profile to the first steep but becomes a bit tangy/astringent, even with such short steep times. Though it doesn't make it undrinkable... nothing I can't handle! But raw pu-erh does seem to do this to me every time, even if I lower the amount of leaves/ steep time: the first steep is alright but the other steeps aren't as delicious. It is completely my fault though... I'm sure others can steep raw pu-erh much better. It is delicious for raw pu-erh but tough to distinguish from other raw pu-erh (for me.) Steep #1 // half of a 10 gram sample pouch // 10 minutes after boiling // rinse // 30 seconds to 1 minute steep Steep #2 // just boiled // 30 second steep Steep #3 // just boiled // 30 second steep

By caileon 3/7/15

Rating :

Initial sips were a bit bitter with astringency, especially when hot, and even more so when tasting the first few steeps. Once the cup cooled, the bitter notes were still present but enjoyable.

Taste is a bit fruity and hay-like with a bit of smoke, and a peppery tingle which lingers. It sort of gives the impression of warmth and coolness at some same time. I look forward to trying it again.

By Iggyon 2/13/15

Rating :

nice, clean and mellow, considering its age. I'd buy if there was a bit more beautiful cover paper :)

By Lucaon 12/15/14

Rating :

Good taste, but it's too astringent, it's better let it age.

By Cookieson 11/20/14

Rating :

I received this in the Anniversary sampler pack a few months ago and have only just gotten around to trying it, thinking it would be incredibly bitter as most shengs this young are. Well I was very happily surprised when I finally gave it a try! This is light and slightly fruity with a heavy scent of dried apricots. And no bitterness. I have to admit it is a bit too light for me. And while the flavor develops through multiple steepings it never gets very complex. But if you're looking for a mellow sweet young sheng this is a great option.

By MissLenaon 11/6/14

Rating :

As for the flavor, it is starting out quite light. Very much like an aged white to me, there is a bit of grassiness, a chewy hay-like note, and yes, a lingering sweetness. Mostly hay so far.

I made the second steep and when I opened the gaiwan, this amazing honey scent wafted out. I absolutely love that smell, it reminds me of the first aged white tea I had, sooo good. So after a 20s steep, the flavor is becoming more pronounced and green. There is a fresh, almost cooling sensation near the end of the sip. The honey aftertaste is still there, but I am having a tougher time tasting it due to the fact I am eating lunch with it haha (leftover vietnamese, actually goes quite well with this tea, but mutes some of the sweetness).

This review was originally published on Steepster by MissLena in Nov, 2014. TeaVivre has added this whole review here by getting permission from MissLena.

Commonly asked questions

Q: Follow up to the last question: So putting pu-erh in plastic isn't a matter that the pu-erh will ruin (like mold or something) but it's so the pu-erh can age or oxidize properly? Posted on 4/13/15 by C

Reply: Hello C,

Thank you very much for writing to us.

If you will drink the pu-erh tea in a short time (maybe two months), then you can put the pu-erh tea in the bag. But if you want to keep the pu-erh tea for a long time (several year), you must store the pu-erh tea in a suitable place. Then the raw pu-erh tea will get better with age.

You can also store the pu-erh tea in a Zisha Caddy, but not metal tin.

Hope this is helpful for you.

Q: I wondering with the last question, what are the reasons that pu-erh should not be wrapped in plastic? So the silver packaging that Teavivre sends other teas in is a bad idea? What are the negative effects? Thanks! Posted on 4/11/15 by C

Reply: Hello C,

Thank you very much for writing to us.

Pu-erh tea must be wrapped in tissue paper and be put in a windy, dry and no direct sunlight place. If you use plastic bag to pack it, then it can not breath.

However, other teas must be stored under seal. Like green teas, if you packed with paper, then after a short period time, it will be oxidized. Not only the color of the tea will change, but also the flavor and the taste.

So different teas are packed in different ways. Also should be stored in different place and method.

Hope this is helpful for you. If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact us.

Q: I know that young sheng puerh are not good for the stomach, so If I will buy this cake I should let it age. What is the best way to storage it? Posted on 9/10/14 by Luca

Reply: Dear Luca, Thank you very much for writing to us. Yes, you can buy the raw pu-erh and keep it. But you should be careful when you store the pu-erh cake. 1. Pu-erh cake can not be wrapped in plastic bags. you should keep the pu-erh cake just with the tissue paper that we wrapped the cake. For pu-erh cake must breathe. 2. Pu-erh cake must put in a windy, dry and no direct sunlight place. Of couse the place should no other smell. The highest temprature of the store place should not be over 35 ℃ and the humidity should be lower than 80°